Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-10-17
BEECHER As A STUDENT.

Henry Ward Beecher was not al
exact man, that is, his utterances haC
not accuracy and finish that are ac
quired by careful writing: but he wa:
a full man. for he real much. and 4
ready man. for he often conferred
with other men. If tie great pre;lc.ae lei
/ desired information on any subject he
1 went. not to a book bat to the man
who knew it thoroughly. In Abbott's
! Life OF Beecher" there is an anecdOtt
/ Illustrative of his habit of consulting
some eminent special st. When he
was about to deliver his famous course
/ of lectures to young men in Indian
/ aDOlis. then a gambling center. he in
/ vited the leading gambler of the city
/ to call at his study. The man accept
! ed the invitation. and the preacher
and ms strange guest spent a morning
! together.
The sermon on gambling made such
an impression, owing to its local color
ing, that at an evening party a young
man said to the preacher, Mr.. Beecher,
how could YOU descr be gambling
saloon so accurately If you HAD never
been there?"
How do YOU know it is accurate,
if Won have never been there?' prompt
" retorted { preacher.
Mr. Beecher found sermons in men
because. ike ais Master. he was their
friend, and sourht out their thoughts
that ne might do them GOOD. He went
into The shops and stores that lie might
converse with mechanics and clerks.
He walked the streets with his ewes
open, that he might see the sights OF
busy city; and IN the ferry boat he kept
his ears alert to catch the conversation
of draymen and hucketers.
A sharp-shOOter studies his target,
the direction of the wind, the peculiar
itles of his rifle. He makes allowance
for all these before he touches the trig-
ger. He may miss his mark, but he
aims at It and does his best to put the
ball into the bull's-eve
As Mr.. Beecher made men his
target, he acquainted himself with
their peculiarIt!es. and took into
account their preiUdices and methods
Of thinking. One of his brethren re-
ferring in the prayer-meetng to a ser
mon, llkened it to an arrow shot at a
venture.
Il never shoot at a venture. retOrt-
ed Mr.. Beec ler. Il always aim,
though | often miss my mark and bring
down unexpected game.
Mr.. Beecher never made speech or
preached a sermon unless he had some
thing to say. He usually had some
thing to say. and something worth
listening to, even when he spoke with
but few minutes to prepare himself.
He was a student, though he studied
in his own way. which was wholly I'M
like that OF ordinary preachers.
Writers on homiIetics advise Young
preachers to spend but little time in
general study, and much in special
preparation of sermons. Mr.. Beecher
reversed this rule. Most of his time
was spent in general study; his Sun
day morning sermon was prepared on
Sunday morning, and his Sunday
evening sermon in the afternoon
One Sunday evening he preached a
sermon on a text from the eighth
chapter OF Romans. The congregation
was electrified, and Mr.. Halliday, the
preachers assistant. not knowing
whether ne was III the body or out of
it. sought Professor Stowe, who was
standing in his brother-iu-law' pew
The first half Of that sermon, said
the professor. rs the most wonderful
thiu- l ever listened to: but the thing
that Is most wonderful to me IS how
he prepared it. After dinner this noon
l was walking in the library. and
when he came up. | said, Henry. |
would ike to have YOU preach from
those words some time. TO s, hch he
Immediately answered, 4 may as well
preach from / en- Tonight as any
time. He went to ais afternoon sleep,
came down toward SIX o clock. took a
cup OF tea. Went IN to his study and
made the preparation from which he
preached tins sermon.
Nj. Beecner undoubtedly possessed
a remarkable read4ness in preparing
for the public OF the platform, out he
was also an adept in accumulating
material, of which he could avail him
self at a moments notice.
In answering a question put to him
by the present writer a to his method
of preparing for the pulpit, he said:
Il read book for information and
inspiration. If, while reading, a
thought comes to me which is worth
expanding. | write down the title of
the book. the passage which suggested
the thought, the hour of the day or the
night. the local surroundings, in fact,
everything which will enable me to
reproduce my exact mood.
Then | write until have nothing
more to say on that topic. | fold my
manuscript, write the name of the
topic on its back and lay it away.
ION Sunday morning | begin my
sermon. l know what my congre-
CATION i thinking about. and my sub
ject Is generally in the line of their
thought. 1t flashes into my mind tat
have written on that topic | hunt
among my manuscripts, find the one |
want, and have sermon al my hand
which, with a little alteration and
addition, serves my purpose.
Il try, by reading and re-reading
the title of the book, the quoted pass
age and the narrative Of the surround
ing circumstances, To get back INTO
the mood IN which | was when | wrote
the manuscript. Then l go into the
pulpit and let my mimi swing"